You have probably already heard many times that you should never eat before getting into the pool water. If so, then maybe you have also been told that you will get sick if you sleep with it. wet hair.
Since you have not been given proof that this is real, you have probably ignored it. But could this be dangerous for you? Read on to find out.
Why do people go to bed with wet hair?
It has happened to all of us. You have to leave home the next day early in the morning. But you haven’t had time to shower and fix your hair. You still have dinner to cook and the kids to put to sleep, so you leave the hair thing for later.
You wash your hair but skip blow-drying because you don’t want to wake up your kids or you’re just too tired. But nothing happens, because you can let it dry while you sleep and there will be no problem, right?
You wake up, you see your hair, and you wonder why it looks like you’ve been electrocuted, but you don’t have time to wash it again. That will have to suffice.
While leaving your hair washed overnight may seem like the best option, there are hidden dangers that you probably don’t know!
Why you should never go to bed with wet hair
1. It could damage and break the hair
Hair is weakest when it’s wet, so it’s no big surprise to hear that it will do a lot of damage if you leave it wet. As you are tossing and turning while you sleep, the friction will make your hair break more easily if it were dry.
2. It will make you feel cold
If you sleep in an air-conditioned room or it’s the dead of winter, sleeping with wet hair will make you feel much colder.
Stop those chills by drying your hair before bed. And for an even more comfortable night, you can even tumble dry your socks, pajamas, and sheets to keep them nice and comfy.
3. You will spend more time styling your hair
As your hair dries, it falls back into place. When you sleep, your hair twists into all sorts of weird positions, and besides, if it dries while you sleep, it will set that way too.
Normally, the most affected parts are the crown and the ends of your hair. The only way to soften your hair is to spend a lot of time trying to reshape it, whether that’s rewetting it, using heat tools, or smothering it with sprays and gels. And this is not exactly the natural option you were looking for.
4. Affects your immune system
The old adage that you’ll get sick from sleeping with wet hair isn’t entirely true: you can’t get a virus just from having wet hair.
That said, sleeping with wet hair can. weaken your immune systemwhich makes it more likely that you will catch a cold or flu virus.
5. Promotes the growth of bacteria
If there is one thing we all know, it is that the combination of water and heat equals a rapid growth of bacteria. Think how many bacteria will grow on your pillow if you sleep with wet hair! The warmth from your head and the humidity will make your pillow the perfect environment for harmful bacteria and mold to thrive.
6. Produces dandruff
The heat from your head and the moisture from your hair will cause bacteria and fungi to multiply both on your scalp and on your pillow. Sleeping with damp hair also removes natural oils from your hair, as the pillow fabric easily absorbs them along with excess moisture.
The combination of bacterial growth and loss of natural oils will make your scalp more prone to dandruff.
7. Makes your hair dull
As the pillow fabric absorbs water from your hair, it also absorbs its natural oils. Your hair will look much duller and dehydrated without these oils.
Dehydrated hair is also much more likely to break. Remember that there is a big difference between hair that is dry to the touch and hair dehydrated from natural oils.
8. It can cause hair loss
Can you believe this? Going to bed with wet hair can lead to hair loss, and more specifically, ringworm of the scalp. Scalp ringworm is a type of fungal infection, caused by warm, humid conditions.
It is highly contagious, so be careful and make sure you wash anything that has come into contact with your scalp.
9. Promotes acne
If your pillow is full of bacteria, chances are you’ll soon experience an acne breakout. Your skin will thank you for drying your hair before bed.
What can you do about this problem
Sleeping with wet hair can cut some ends, but to avoid any of the above problems, here’s what you can do:
- Wash your hair earlier in the evening; this will allow it to air-dry before you go to bed, thus avoiding wetting the pillow.
- Sleep with a silk pillowcase; this will reduce friction and prevent hair breakage.
- Dry your hair with a t-shirt; this will cause less damage than a normal towel or prolonged use of a dryer.
- Apply a leave-in conditioner to strengthen your hair.
- Never sleep with wet hair if you have hair extensions as it will get tangled.
- If you sleep with wet hair, consider placing a waterproof pillow on top of your pillow and change the fabric covers every other day.